Just under 300 kms today.....Uralla to Coonabarabran via Tamworth and Gunnedah....not too challenging from the perspective of distance, but we knew from previous experience that there was a tricky section on the road into Tamworth.
The approach to this home of Australian country music from along the New England Highway takes travellers through the rugged mountains to the north-east of the town,
where a steep descent is just that, and this is the first of two of them.
For those not fully occupied in maintaining a safe and controllable speed, the views are spectacular. I have to say this is more than I actually took in at the time....the ribbon of bitumen, the speedo and gear selection to use the braking effect of the motor was engaging my full attention.
With the benefit of several previous visits (Stu did his basic flying training here) to Tamworth, including one in which Liz and I over-nighted in our old van, the route through the town presented us with no difficulties,
and we had soon turned off the New England Highway onto the Oxley. From here on, our route was to be 'old hat'.
The grazing and cropping land between Tamworth and Gunnedah is picturesque at this time of the year, and I did welcome this stretch of relatively flat highway.
By the time we reached Gunnedah fuel was a necessity, and here I did make a blue. I thought I recalled a service station on the outskirts of the town. This must have been in another life....so we did fiddle about making a 'U' turn and retracing our steps to the 'real' servo in the town itself. Ah well, it was time for a break in any case... but perhaps not quite that long!
With the Cruiser's thirst sated, we managed the 100 kms (exactly) to Coonabarabran in what seemed like no time. On the approach to the town the ramparts of the ranges of the Wurrumbungle National Park form an impressive backdrop in the distance. We were to experience a small portion of these ranges later.
And here we are....and indeed Coonabarabran can lay a legitimate claim to fame as the 'Astronomy Capital of Australia'. High in the Wurrumbungles, not too far out of town, is the Siding Spring (no 's') observatory, a place of real significance in the world of astronomy.
Our gaze was somewhat less elevated as we made our way into the John Oxley caravan park which is situated at one end of the town's main street. As I mentioned earlier, we had driven past this park on many occasions, and on each of them had remarked how inviting it looked. Well, now we were to see for ourselves.
Again, as had been the the case in Uralla, the (rather laid back) park manager invited us to pick our own site. Unfortunately, in much of the park, sites are are not clearly defined and something of 'rafferty's rules' prevailed.
And we did enjoy our stay here as evidenced by the fact we extended by a day. Despite the odd, rather off handed attitude of the park manager, the ablutions are adequate (if dated), and lawns and trees are very pleasant, but the one thing we could not understand is why this park, which is so amenable for those pitching tents, does not have a camp kitchen....very odd.
At this time of the year, the main street of Coonabarabran is a picture. The blossom trees were in full bloom
and did much to soften the constant flow of traffic of all types through this rather narrow thoroughfare. This is a classic example of a town which needs a heavy vehicle by-pass. Situated as it is near the junction of the Newell and Oxley Highways, both of which carry heavy trucks galore,
the large clock tower in the centre of of the main street (Oxley Highway) probably sees more heavy traffic pass it than in any other town of a comparable size.....and some of the semi drivers actually obey the 50 kph speed limit!
We enjoyed several long walks through and around the town in the delightful spring sunshine, but the highlight was a quick jaunt to the Siding Spring complex.
The narrow road from the town presents visitors with a range of scenery over the 15 or so kilometre journey,
including a number of these extraordinary rocky outcrops which rise out of nowhere and tower over the lush pastoral land below them.
Understandably the observatory is perched right on the top of the ridge (and it is actually quite difficult to photograph).
This shot, (courtesy of Wikipedia) provides a much better view of just what is here. As observatories go, Siding Spring is a heavy hitter....there is more that $100 million worth of equipment dotted across this ridge.
It was as well that our trip was merely a recce....the main observatory exhibit room was undergoing a refurbishment in preparation for a major forthcoming event, the annual October 'open day'. Frankly this did not bother me (in particular). A return visit during the annual festivities, dedicated to really getting to know this place, has been placed on the calendar.
But even when the exhibit room is closed, a trip up to Siding Spring is worth it just for the views on offer along the access road. The Wurrumbungle National Park is rightly renowned for its marvellous scenery, camping sites, and day walks.
This will all have to wait for another occasion. We are expected in Canberra on 3 October and we still have a way to go.
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